ign.com

Sonic Mega Collection Plus - IGN

️Hilary Goldstein
️Sun May 20 2012

Step into the way-back machine to the days of 16-bit brilliance.

Sonic Mega Collection Plus

is perhaps one of the best compilations you could ask for. At a mere $20, gamers can enjoy 20 classic games. The majority of these games features Sega's icon, Sonic, though a few other Genesis gems are included to round out the deal. The youthful blue hedgehog was once more recognizable than Mickey Mouse (that's no lie) and though Sonic isn't quite as hip these days, he's still one of video game's most significant icons. This isn't a collection of mediocre old school games, this is a collection of every pre-Saturn sonic title. That's a heavy load of goodness any fan should be excited about.

Check out the complete offerings of Mega Collection Plus:

Sonic The Hedgehog (Sega Genesis)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis)
Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Genesis)
Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis, Saturn)
Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball (Sega Genesis)
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Genesis)
Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Blue Spheres
The Ooze (Sega Genesis)
Comix Zone (Sega Genesis)
Flicky (Sega Genesis)
Ristar (Sega Genesis)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear)
Sonic Chaos (Game Gear)
Sonic Drift (Game Gear)
Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear)
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Game Gear)
Sonic Blast (Game Gear)

Each game is a perfect emulation of the original. There's no new content outside of some cool art galleries, but the games themselves remain pure. Sonic has always been a favorite of mine and playing the original Genesis games took me back to a time of acne and awkwardness -- but in a good way.

Sonic the Hedgehog is different than Mario for a number of reasons. Sonic has momentum. He starts at a walking pace and has to work his way up to full speed. One going, he can't just stop on a dime. For a 2D character, he feels somewhat real and the physics of Sonic make for some truly unique games. No one has ever made games like this since, not even Sega.

The addition of a few other classic Genesis games outside of the Sonic realm is what gives Mega Collection its Plus. Of these, fans will likely flip over The Ooze and my personal fave, Comix Zone. No, these aren't the best games, not even in the top 10 of all Genesis games, but they are certainly fan favorites and worth another nostalgic look

These are old titles and as such, you can't expect much in the way of graphics. The 16-bit days were pretty long ago, but now, especially on a big-screen TV, they don't look so hot. The Game Gear games are particularly gruesome to look at on a giant TV or even a modest 24-inch television. That's to be expected, since these titles were originally created for a very small monitor. The Game Gear titles would probably be better served as a GBA collection, but they are nice for nostalgic state and the earliest Sonic Game Gear titles are just as good as those from the Genesis. It just won't look very appealing on your TV.

Sega has managed to offer a very crisp looking version of its games, easily the best emulations on any console or handheld to date. Genesis games were colorful and Mega Collection Plus is a refreshing change from the grim, stark visuals found in many of today's console titles. The only strange visual fault I could see is some ghosting on parts of the background. Comparing the original Sonic to the Mega Collection version shows, pretty clearly, that the trees are actually sharper-looking on the Genesis. Otherwise, it's a prefect translation that removes some of the interlacing issues seen in split-screen two-player Sonic titles.

Verdict

You can't find a better deal than 20 games for 20 dollars. While not every Sonic game is a winner, the majority are. These games, though old, are superior to Sega's more recent 3D Sonic offerings. Nothing has changed (though, for some reason, you can save your progress mid-game on Xbox), but that's okay. Sonic Mega Collection Plus offers gamers a chance to step back in time to look at games when they were a little simpler and in some ways a little better. I'm not a fan of the ugly border put around the screen, but otherwise there's nothing that should keep a Sonic fan from snagging this one up.